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<\/p>\nA suspected conman is under investigation after he racked up an eye-watering hotel bill before "dining and dashing" without paying.<\/p>\n
The "businessman-like" bloke spent \u00a3452 over three nights at the Angel Hotel in Halesworth, Suffolk, where he enjoyed three meals before slipping away. He also downed some 15 pints of Birra Moretti, eight pints of Guinness, seven rum and cokes and three pints of Aspall alongside five bags of Mini Cheddars and other sides.<\/p>\n
He secured a room a the 500-year-old establishment using a debit card and even bought chocolates for staff to thank them for their work. However on his final day several weeks ago he left the premises and sent the family-run in an email saying he would come back later to settle up.<\/p>\n
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The hotel's manager, William Tennant, said the name the man gave staff seemed to be legitimate. But although employees have attempted to charge his card multiple times the transaction never went through.<\/p>\n
When Mr Tennant went to look up the elusive guest online, he discovered he was suspected of carrying out the same scheme elsewhere. "It's disappointing. More than anything, we look after people well here all the time," Mr Tennant said.<\/p>\n
"It's obviously some sadistic game he likes to play or an addiction he\u2019s got if he\u2019s been doing it for so long. So that\u2019s sad really, to be honest.<\/p>\n
"He even bought chocolates for us to thank us for our hospitality. It\u2019s not a small amount of money, and turn over wise, you have to earn a significant amount more to get that back, profit-wise."<\/p>\n
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Mr Tennant said the man appeared to be in his early 50s with dark-coloured thinning hair. He spoke with a Suffolk accent and arrived via train on November 20. <\/p>\n
The alleged con artist had initially booked to stay for just one night at the three-star hotel at a price of \u00a370. During breakfast the next day he asked to stay for another night and made the same request the following day, bringing the cost of his board to \u00a3210.<\/p>\n
The remaining \u00a3242 went on food and drink as the man happily spent his evening downing tipples at the hotel bar. Mr Tennant said the man had been "very complimentary" throughout his stay.<\/p>\n
"He was polite and very complimentary to our staff, saying how amazing he had been treated," Mr Tennant added. "He sat with his back to the camera in the bar, which looking back must have been an intentional thing.<\/p>\n
"There\u2019s CCTV footage of him everywhere. I thought he was too brazen to be a conman."<\/p>\n
Speaking of the man's escape, Mr Tennant added: "It's not impossible to leave without anyone seeing you. He emailed to say, 'Sorry I had to leave in a rush, I\u2019ll be back in time to check out and settle my bill, can I stay another night?' or something.<\/p>\n
"We then thought this is a bit weird now. And then we Googled him and we saw him \u2013 and realised, 'This is the guy.' We never heard from him again."<\/p>\n
The issue has now been reported to the national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud. Pauline Smith, from the police team, said: "Action Fraud can confirm it is currently being assessed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) at the City of London Police."<\/p>\n
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